As the world marks the tenth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, the unresolved fate of some 1,300 Yazidi children remains a haunting reminder of the atrocities committed. These children, abducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) during its brutal campaign against the Yazidi people in Sinjar (Şengal), northern Iraq, are still unaccounted for, according to Save the Children. The charity also highlights that thousands of Yazidis remain displaced and living in appalling conditions across the region.
On 3 August 2014, ISIS launched a devastating attack on the Yazidi community in Sinjar, home to around 400,000 Yazidis, an ethno-religious minority in Iraq. This attack led to widespread deaths, abductions and displacement of almost the entire Yazidi population in the area. The United Nations (UN) and several other international bodies have officially recognised this violence as genocide, marking an unprecedented level of brutality, particularly against women and children.
Mass graves uncovered during investigations led by UNITAD (United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL) reveal the extent of the massacres, including those of children. Survivors have reported witnessing executions, torture, rape and sexual slavery – abuses considered war crimes by the international community.
Of the estimated 6,400 Yazidis abducted by ISIS, almost half were children. These young victims endured horrific abuses, including forced religious conversion, military training and sexual slavery. Boys as young as seven were conscripted into ISIS training camps, while girls, some as young as nine, were sold into sexual slavery. The impact on Yazidi children was profound, around half of those who died on Mount Sinjar during the siege were children.
A decade later, some 2,700 Yazidis remain unaccounted for, including the 1,300 who were children at the time of their abduction. Advocacy groups estimate that between 300 and 400 of these children are likely still alive, many possibly in captivity or living under false identities.
The aftermath of the genocide has left the Yazidi community in a state of prolonged suffering. Some 200,000 Yazidis remain displaced, living in makeshift tents and shelters with inadequate access to health care and education. In Sinjar(Şengal) , the region remains scarred by destruction, with homes and infrastructure destroyed and the area heavily contaminated with unexploded ordnance, posing an ongoing risk to those attempting to return.
The psychological impact has also been severe. Many Yazidi children who survived the genocide suffer from profound mental health problems, including trauma, loneliness and suicidal thoughts. Save the Children stresses the urgent need for comprehensive support systems to help these children recover and reintegrate into society.
The Womens’ Protection Units (YPJ) and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continue to mount rescue operations of Yazidis, principally from within the 60,000 people living in Al-Hol camp. The Al-Hol camp is currently home to 60,000 people, primarily foreign national ISIS members the families and children of ISIS fighters. The camp inhabitants reportedly still includes ISIS leaders who are trying to actively organise inside the camp.
In June 2024 three Yazidi women were rescued from Al-Hol. All of them had been children at the time of their capture, while two had been infants.
As the international community reflects on the atrocities committed against the Yazidis a decade ago, the missing children remain a powerful symbol of the genocide’s enduring legacy.
The Yazidi community continues to grapple with the aftermath of genocide, and the search for the missing children is a poignant reminder of the ongoing work needed to achieve justice and healing.
